Hoist crane construction



Jan. 27, 1942. R. J. HARRY HOIST CRANE CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 12, 1939 Patented Jan. 27, 1942- U NIT E D STAT ESJ PATENT O FF [C E.

2,271,429 V HOIS'I CRANE CONSTRUCTION Robert .1; Harry, Alliance," Ohio Application January 12, 1939-,Serial No. 250,579

15 Claims. (01. 254 1s4-) This invention. pertains to crane mechanisms such as described in my copending applications Serial Nos. 250,576 (250,577; 250,578; 250,580; filed Jan. 12,1939, and relates particularly to a crane or hoist construction employing a single motor drive and incorporating advantageousfeatures of such. copending applications. Previous to the present invention, it has been customary to drive hoist drums through the agency of a pair of motors or other suitable motivating agencies. However, I have found that in certain installations a single motor may be satisfactorily employed. A problem has been the utilization of a single motordrive insuch a manner as to simultaneously operate a pair of oppositely-located drums and tosuitably time them and protect 1 them and their operating mechanism from damage. I V l And, it has been an object of the present invention toprovide a new and improved operating arrangement employing a single motor drive.

A further object has been to provide a singlemotor drive having safety features that have heretofore been confined to a multiple motor drive. a Y

These and many other objects of my invention will appear to those skilled in the art from the description, the drawing, and the claims.

In the drawing: g

The figure-is a top plan View of a hoist construction embodying the principles of my' invention. L

The main frame structure and carriage as well as a suitable auxiliary crane of a type shown and described in my copending applications can be employed in connection with the present disclosure;

' In the present invention, a single motor is employed'to' simultaneously drive a pairof oppositely-positioned hoist drums through spur and pinion gear connections. Each hoist drum is interconnected, as previously described in my copending applications above-mentioned. by suitable intermeshinggears and each drum of each pair is driven by a drive shaft which is connected by a suitable-gear mechanism to the drive means or motor. mycopending applications that-each transversely-extending driveshaft simultaneouslydrives oppositely-positioned: drums of. an opposite pairr Fromthe above description, it willappear that the breakage ofone drum or one gear or pinion or shaft will; not permit that-particular drum or shaft to release, causing injury to the operator or damage to the apparatus. It will also appear that the motor is provided with an, armature shaft that extends from opposite ends. thereof and drives suitable reduction spur gear mechanisms which; are in turn connected to the transversely-extending driveshafts Referring particularly to.- vthe drawing, the motor I0 is provided with brake wheels I I, oppositely-extending armature shafts 12, anda pinion gear l3lon eachv shaft ,endintermeshing, with a gear train. In

' the: case of the righthand portion of the figure,

It will alsoappear as in the case of the train comprises an idler gear l5 that meshes.

with a spur gear l6 that drivesa pinion I! that meshes with a gear IS on the transversely-extending drive shaft 20. shafts for the Various gears above-mentioned are all suitably journaled within a casingor housing M. The lefthand portion of the motor shaft I2 is vin like manner provided with a pinion gear I3 meshing with gear I6: that drives a pinion gear I! that: meshes with a spur gear 18 ofthe other transversely-extending drive shaft20. The addi: tional gear in the righthand housing 14 provides the correct rotation of the lefthand drum pair in order that all of the drum pairs will be interconnected and interdriven in the proper direction. The shafts 20 may be provided with suitable couplings 22' of the usual form.

When I speak of the axis of the individual drums or of the axes of the drum pairs, I have reference to the axis or axes about which the drum or drum pairs turn or. rotate. The same is true-as to shafting and other operating connections as defined in the claims. When I speak of interlocked drums, I have particular reference to drums, the members of which are provided with intermeshing' drum gears that are, in turn, separately actuated by suitable connecting members which extend-across. between the drums of Y toanother and having .a frame extending trans:

It will be noted that the versely of its direction of movement, spaced-apart pairs of hoist drums operably positioned adjacent opposite sides of said frame, the drums of each pair having a portion of their axes in a side-byside relationship, each drum of each pair having a gear intermeshing with a gear of the other drum of said pair, a motor on said frame in the spacing between said drum pairs, said motor being positioned adjacent end portions of said drums and having a rotating axis extending substantially in the same direction as the axes of said drums, the axes of said drums extending substantially transversely of the directions of travel of said crane, means operably connecting said motor adjacent one end thereof to one drum pair, means operably connecting said motor adjacent an opposite end thereof to the other of said drum pairs, shafting extending across the spacing between said drum pairs from one drum of one pair to an opposite drum of another pair, gear means operably connecting said shafting adjacent opposite end portions thereof to said last-mentioned drums, shafting extending across the spacing between said drum pairs from the other drum of the opposite pair, gear means operably connecting opposite end portions of said last-mentioned shafting to said other drums of said pairs, one end of said motor being operably connected to actuate one said shafting and the other end of said motor being operably connected to actuate the other said shafting in an opposite direction to the first-mentioned shafting.

2. In combination with a traveling hoist crane adapted to move longitudinally from one location to another and having a frame extending transversely of its direction of movement, spacedapart pairs of hoist drums operably positioned adjacent opposite sides of said frame, the drums of each pair having a portion of their axes in a side-by-side relationship, each drum of each pair having a gear intermeshing with a gear of the other drum of its pair, a motor on said frame in the spacing between said drum pairs, said motor being positioned adjacent end portions of said drums and having a rotating axis extending substantially in the same direction as the axes of said drums, the axes of said drums extending substantially transversely of the direction of travel of said crane, means operably connecting said motor adjacent one end thereof to one drum pair, means operably connecting said motor adjacent an opposite end thereof to the other of said drum pairs, and means extending across between said drum pairs and connecting each drum of each pair to an opposite drum of an opposite pair in such a manner that they will rotate in synchronism when actuated by said motor.

3. In combination with a traveling hoist crane adapted to move longitudinally from one location to another and having a frame extending transversely of its direction of movement, spacedapart pairs of hoist drums operably positioned adjacent opposite sides of said frame, the drums of each pair having a portion of their axes in a side-by-side relationship, each drum of each pair having a gear intermeshing with a gear of the other drum of its pair, a motor on said frame in the spacing between said drum pairs, said motor being positioned adjacent end portions of said drums and having a rotating axis extending substantially in the same direction as the axes of said drums, the axes of said drums extendin substantially transversely of the direction .of travel of said crane, means operably connecting said motor adjacent one end thereof to one drum pair, and means operably connecting said motor adjacent an opposite end. thereof to the other of said drum pairs.

4. In combination with a traveling hoist crane adapted to move longitudinally from one location to another and having a frame extending transversely of its direction of movement, spacedapart pairs of hoist drums operably positioned adjacent opposite sides of said frame, the drums of each pair having a portion of their axes in a side-by-side relationship, each drum of each pair having a gear intermeshing with a gear of the other drum of its pair, a motor on said frame in the spacing between said drum pairs, said motor being positioned adjacent end portions of said drums and having a rotating axis extending substantially in the same direction as the axes of said drums, the axes of said drums extending substantially transversely of the direction of travel of said crane, and means operably connecting said motor adjacent opposite ends thereof to said drums.

5. In a crane, spaced-apart pairs of hoisting drums, each drum having a drum gear, the drum gear of each drum of each pair intermeshing with the drum gear of the other drum of its pair, the drums of each pair having a portion of their axes in a side-by-side relationship, the axes of said spaced-apart drum pairs extending in the same direction, an actuating motor for said drums positioned adjacent end portions of said drums, said motor having a drive member extending from opposite ends thereof, spur gearing operably interposed adjacent each end of said drive member and connected for actuation thereby, a pair of secondary members operably connected for actuation by said spur gearing, a pair of tertiary members, each of which operably extends from one drum of one pair across to an opposite drum of the other pair to operably engage the associated drum gears of said drums, and spur gearing operably connecting one of said secondary members to one of said tertiary members and operably connecting the other of said secondary members to the other of said tertiary members.

6. In a crane, spaced-apart pairs of hoisting drums, each drum having a gear secured thereto, the drums of each pair being operably intermeshed through said gears and having a portion of their axes in a side-by-side relationship, an actuating motor for said drums, said motor having a drive member, a pair of actuating members extending in substantially the same direction as said drive member, gearing operably connecting said actuating members to opposite end portions of said drive member, gearing operably connecting one of said'actuating members to a pair of opposite drums of said drum pairs, and gearing operably connecting the other of said actuating members to the other pair of opposite drums of said drum pairs, so that said spaced-apart drum pairs will be driven in a definite synchronized relationship with respect to each other by said motor.

'7. In a crane, spaced-apart pairs of intermeshing hoisting drum pairs, each drum of each pair having a portion of their axes in a side-by-side relationship with the other drum of its pair, an actuating motor for said drums, said motor having a drive member extending in substantially the same direction as the axes of said drums, a pair of actuating members extending across the spacing between said drum pairs and connecting the drums of each pair to opposite drums of the opposite pair, and gearing operably connecting one end portion of said motor drive member to one of said actuating members and gearing operably connecting another end portion of the drive member to the other of said actuating members for synchronously driving said pairs.

8. In a crane construction as defined in claim 7, brake means operably mounted on each abovementioned end portion of said drive member.

9. In a crane, spaced-apart pairs of hoisting drums, each drum having a gear secured thereto, the drums of each drum pair being operably intermeshed through said gears and having a portion of their axes in a side-by-side relationship, an actuating motor for said drums positioned in the spacing between said drum pairs adjacent end portions of said drums, said motor having a drive member extending substantially in the same direction as the above-defined portion of the axes of said drums,a member operably connecting the gear of a drum of one pair to the gear of an opposite drum of the other pair, an additional member operably connecting the gear of the other drum of the one pair to the gear of the other drum of the other pair, and gear means operably connecting opposite end portions of said motor drive member to said members.

10. In acrane, spaced-apart pairs of operably intermeshed drum pairs, each drum of each pair having a portion of its axis in a side-by-side relationship with the other drum of its pair, an actuating motor for said drums, said motor being positioned adjacent end portions of said drums and having a rotating axis extending in substantially the same direction as the axes of said drums, means operably connecting one end portion of said motor to one pair of drums and operably connecting another end portion of said motor to the other pair of drums, and means operably and synchronously connecting the drums of each pair to opposite drums of the other pair.

11. In a crane, spaced-apart pairs of drums, each drum having a gear, the drums of each pair being operably intermeshed through said gears and having a portion of their axes in a side-by-side relationship, an actuating motor for said drums, said motor being positioned substantially endwise of end portions of at least one pair of said drums and having a rotating axis extending in substantially the same direction as the axes of said drums, and means operably connecting one end portion of said motor to one pair of drums and operably connecting another end portion of said motor to the other pair of drums.

12. In a crane, a pair of hoistingdrums, each drum having a gear secured thereto, said drums operably intermeshing through said gears and having a portion of their axes in a side-by-side relationship, another hoisting drum having a spaced-apart relationship with respect to said pair of hoisting drums and having a portion of its axis extending in the same direction as the above-defined portion of the axes of said drum pair, a motor operably positioned adjacent end portions of said drums and in the above-mentioned spacing there between, a driving member extending across from a drum of said pair to said spaced-apart drum,means operably connecting said member adjacent end portions thereof to each of'said last-mentioned drums, said motor having a rotating axis extending substantially in the same direction as the above-mentioned portions of the axes of said drums, means operablyconnecting one'end of said motor to said member to drive it in one direction, and an additional member operably connecting the other end of said motor to the other drum of said pair to drive said other drum in an opposite direction to said first-mentioned drum of said pair.

13. In a crane, a pair of rotatable hoisting drums, each drum having a gear, the drums being operably intermeshed by said gears and having a portion of their rotatable axes in a side-by-side relation, an actuating motor, said motor being positioned substantially endwise of end portions of said drum pair and between planes representing said drums in thedirection of their axes of rotation, said motor having a rotating axis extending in substantially the same direction as the rotatable axes of said drums, and gears exclusively of a spur gear type operably connecting opposite end portions of said motor to said drum pair independently of the intermeshed relation of the gears of said drum pair.

14. In a crane, a pair of rotatable hoisting drums, each drum having a gear, the drums being operably intermeshed through said gears and having a portion of their rotatable axes in a side-by-side relationship, an actuating motor, said motor being positioned substantially endwise of end portions of said drum pair and between planes representing said drums in the direction of their axes of rotation, said motor having a driven member extending in substantially the same direction as the rotatable axes of said drums, and gears exclusively of a spur gear type operably connecting opposite end portions of said driven member to the drums of said pair independently of the intermeshed relation of the gears of said drum pair.

15. In a crane, spaced-apart pairs of rotatable hoisting drums, each drum having a gear, the drums of each pair being operably intermeshed through said gears and having a portion of their rotatable axes in a side-by-side relationship, an actuating motor positioned in the spacing between said drum pairs, a drive member for said motor, said drive member having opposite end portions thereof extending in substantially the same direction as the rotatable axes of said drums, and spur gear means operably connected to the opposite end portions of said drive member, said spur gear means operably connecting said drive member to each drum, of said drum pairs, said drum pairs being at the opposite end portion of said drive member, said means being independent of the intermeshed relation between the gears,

of each of said drum pairs.

ROBERT J. HARRY. 

